


By Any Other Name

by Notenoughforgenius



Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - Non-Magical, Marauders, Marauders Friendship, Marauders' Era, Mistaken Identity, Modern Marauders (Harry Potter), Positive Remus, Whoops I'm dating my girlfriend's cousin, jily, wolfstar
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-06-20
Updated: 2018-08-24
Packaged: 2019-05-26 04:16:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 9,208
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14992559
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Notenoughforgenius/pseuds/Notenoughforgenius
Summary: Remus Lupin is set to have the perfect summer: he’s got a great best friend, a great job at the local coffee shop, and has started a promising relationship with his spunky classmate Tonks. But when he meets Sirius Black, he finds his summer getting a little more complicated than he originally planned. Complicated by half-truths, missing information, and outright lies, Remus must navigate a mixed-up web of relationships and feeling, and try not break too many hearts in the process.





	1. Chapter 1

James Potter’s apartment was the perfect location for a boy’s night in. Equidistant from the cheapest bar in town, the second cheapest pizza joint, and a 24-hour coffee shop with a very cute barista, Sirius, James, and Peter often found themselves meeting there before any night out, and certainly for any night in, especially after Sirius had taken up occupancy in the second room. After being kicked out of his home for the sixth and final time, Sirius Black had called it quits on the family estate, choosing instead to live with his best friends in their small flat. His meager, although his friends called it extravagant, allowance allowed him to help with rent and keep up appearances in social circles, while also enabling him to cut out on both a job and classes and focus instead on solving his friend’s romantic crises. 

“All I’m saying,” James said between bites of pizza, “Is that we’re clearly soulmates. It’s that simple, and there’s really nothing else to it.” He was referring, of course, to Lily Evans. Lily was the smartest girl in Jame’s biology class, She worked at the cafe a few blocks down from their apartment and was a frequent topic of conversation in the flat. 

“If you’re soulmates, wouldn’t she also be interested in you?” asked Peter. He took his job as the group’s pragmatist very seriously. 

Sirius stretched out on the sofa in living room, draping his feet over Peter’s lap. “Mate, the worm’s got a point.”

“Mate, get your boots off my couch,” James reached to push Sirius’ feet off the arm rest. 

“I told you guys to stop calling me that.”

Sirius sighed and sat up properly in the chair. His mother, too, always scolded him for “disrespecting the furniture”, something he never understood. If you paid for it, you should do with it as you pleased. To hell with keeping it in its original condition. “All I’m saying, is that you need to come to terms with the fact that she has turned you down twice. Twice this week! You’re being weird and it’s a little surprising that she hasn’t called the cops on you yet.”

Peter nodded in agreement. “I still think it’s kind of romantic, though.”

“That’s ‘cause you’re weird, Pete.” Sirius propped his feet on the couch again. 

James grimaced at Sirius, motioning for him to move his feet. “At least take the shoes off” he pleaded.

“I will not,” Sirius took another bite of his pizza. “And the last I’m going to say about it is that you just don’t know enough about her to be so obsessed.”

“I’m not obsessed. And you don’t even know! Pads, if you’d seen this girl, you would be so much more sympathetic to my poor little heart.”

Sirius made a face at James. “There is no woman in this world that could have that effect on me.”

“Besides the point!" James groaned. "I promise you, if you were to stop by her cafe, you would immediately understand why I’m so hopelessly in love with her.”

Sirius scoffed. “First of all, you cannot be in love with someone you’ve never actually spent any time with, and secondly, I’ve been in love plenty of times and I’ve never been a borderline stalker.”

“Then wasn’t love,” Peter said pointedly.

“Don’t side with him! Traitor.” Sirius waved Peter off. “You wouldn’t know either.”

James put his arm around Peter’s shoulders. “He’ll know when it hits him. Poor fool has no idea what’s coming.”

Sirius threw a pillow across the room at James. “Fuck off. Maybe I’ll swing by tomorrow… But if I don’t meet the love of my life, next pizza night is on you. ” 

“That’s a bet I’m willing to make.” James put a hand over his heart, and an expression of mock sentimentality on his face. “I have total faith in my Lily.”


	2. Chapter 2

Remus’ day was not off to an excellent start. He woke that morning with a deep ache in his body, something which felt like the start of a cold or perhaps something worse. He rolled over in bed and grabbed his phone, only to then realize that it showed three missed calls and several texts from his boss, requesting politely, and then not so politely, to know where he was, and if he planned on showing up to work at all. 

“Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck me…” he whined as he shimmied into the cleanest pair of pants he could find. His room was a constant mess of dirty plates, piles of clothes, old school papers, and any other item that had the misfortune of finding its way into his space. He had every intention of keeping the space tidy, it just never seemed to happen.

He scanned the floor for a shirt that wasn’t wrinkled, or at very least not stained. It took a few minute's searching, but he finally found one and threw it on, followed by his favorite pair of sneakers, and the watch he always wore. 

Before leaving, he stopped and examined himself briefly in the mirror. His shaggy brown hair stuck up around his face, and he did his best to smooth it down with water. There were dark circles under his eyes, and his whole aspect looked haggard. He rubbed at his cheeks, trying to get some color in them. That was all the time he had for personal maintenance, and soon after he was out the door.

On days he wasn’t running late, he found the bus ride from his apartment to The Three Broomsticks to be rather pleasant. The bus wound gently through the early morning streets, just at the perfect time of day to see the city shaking itself into the day. Lights checkered the buildings as residents awoke for the day, business owners stretched outside their shops, and people jogged lazily alongside the bus. The bakery on 1st and Farley, third stop till the cafe, started baking around the time his bus passed. The smell of fresh croissants, sourdough, and any other confectionary one could possibly dream off filled the streets, always making Remus’ stomach growl. The bus would then crawl a few more blocks, stopping with in a five minutes’ walk from the cafe he worked at. 

This particular morning however, not even the smell of his favorite cookies could shake the panic he felt of showing up to work late again. The last time he’d done so, even though he arrived only three minutes past the start of his shift, and there were hardly any customers in the shop, his boss, Minerva, had threatened to suspend him from a week of work if he ever showed up late again. He was pretty sure she wouldn’t actually do so, and also pretty sure that he was her favorite employee all things aside, but today was not the day he wanted to find out just how far her patience stretched. 

The bus pulled off to the corner and opened the doors. Remus hopped over the stairs and took off running down the block. Once he arrived at the Three Broomsticks, however, he stopped dead in his tracks. 

The shop was busier than he had ever seen it at 6:15 in the morning. Usually, the morning “rush” was more of a morning crawl. A few regulars would trickle in to get their coffee before heading off to work, still rubbing the sleep from their eyes. They’d stroll leisurely up to the counter, putting their orders in at the counter with sleep still in their eyes. The tables along the walls would fill slowly, until each was full, and the cafe was running at full speed. Today, however, the line stretched nearly to the doors despite the fact that the shop had barely opened, each customer looked more frustrated than the last, and their sense of urgency was matched by the workers behind the counter. His boss, Minerva, was frantically stomping coffee grounds into an espresso machine, while his best friend Lily poured boiling water over several tea cups.

“Do you mind?” A business man pushed passed Remus and into the shop with an air of entitlement few could muster so early in the morning. Remus followed him in and quickly shrugged out of his coat before rushing behind the counter. 

“Not a stellar day to arrive late, Mr. Lupin,” Minerva scowled, peering at him over the rims of her glasses as she waited for the espresso machine to fill a cup. The heat from the machine fogged her lenses, but this did not make her stare any less intimidating. 

“I– “

“We will talk when it quiets down,” she snipped. “Take over for Lily at the register. I want her on the espresso machine.” She took another look at him. “Where is your name tag?”  
Remus felt his face fall. “I think I left it at home.”  
Minerva passed a coffee to a customer, who took it without so much as a thank you. “How hard is it really,” she scolded, “to show up on time, with a name tag. I ask two things of you!” She pursed her lips into a thin line of disappointment. “I don’t have time for this. Put on Leo’s tag for today and get to work.”  
Remus didn’t argue, although he was sure that Leo wouldn’t want the employee who just got reprimanded in front of the morning rush to have his name plastered to their chest. 

“Here,” Lily passed him the tag with a sympathetic look on her face. 

“Thanks,” he muttered back, pinning the tag to his chest before turning to face the line of customers. “Good morning, what can we get started for you today?”

 

 

16 lattes, 12 black coffees, 17 mochas, 6 cappuccinos, and 13 teas later, the shop was finally quiet once more. 

“Why are people out so early today?” Lily whined as she straightened the mugs on the shelves behind the counter. “We never get that busy at start of business.”

Remus sighed. “It’s because the entire universe is out to get me, specifically.” Minerva had already pulled him into the back office to tell him that £20 would be pulled from his paycheck each time he was late after today, and that she was highly disappointed in him for being so willing to let down his coworkers. He accepted her terms with no complaint; after all, it was better than her original threat of suspension. 

“Probably,” Lily agreed. She wiggled her eyebrows at him. “Late night last night?” 

He shook his head. “Problems with my alarm.”

Lily looked visibly disappointed. “When you got a girlfriend, I was excited to start getting some good relationship gossip out of you. What is the point of me being your best friend anyway then?”

Remus laughed. “We’re taking it slow! I like her, I’m trying to do this the right way.” 

“Well the right way isn’t very exciting.” Lily ran some hot water over the dirty mug in the sink. “I need some romantic excitement in my life, God knows I’m not getting any myself.”

“What about James from your bio?” Remus knew that Lily loved no topic of conversation better than his love life, with perhaps the exception of the boy from her classes who presumed her relentlessly. Lily constantly complained about his advances, but Remus had seen her turn down enough customers to know that if she really didn’t like him, James would have been long gone. No man’s pick-up lines were a match for Lily’s sharp tongue and unrivaled self-confidence. He suspected that at the very least Lily enjoyed the attention, and perhaps even was interested in him, if not slightly disapproving of his methods.

“You wouldn't believe what he said to me the other day,” she started, her face alight with the excitement of personal gossip. “We were getting the study guide for the anatomy quiz, and he leans over with this nasty expression on his face and goes ‘Want to know what the best way to study for anatomy is?’ And I told him that I would never, ever ––“Lily stopped abruptly, her eyes focused out the window. “Oh shit, it’s that creep from across the street.”

Remus’ stomach dropped. Coming in through the doors was Rick, the portly, balding, 40-something cashier from the print shop down the road. He was an unfortunate regular, who had a habit of coming in and flirting with the staff at the least opportune moments. He frequently came in only to chat, asking incredibly personal questions that made any bystander feel physically uncomfortable. On one occasion, he had even gone as far as to bring Lily flowers. That day in particular, Minerva had been out of her office, wiping down tables in the main dining room, and Lily used this to her advantage. She took the flowers from Rick, and then, in a very loud voice, told him that they were a sweet gesture, but that she really couldn’t accept his offer, because he mother wouldn’t allow her to date yet. She pointed over to Minerva, who gave him her signature glare, and he’d fled. A few weeks passed with no sign of Rick, which made everyone think that the implication of having hit on someone underage had been enough to scare him away. Much to everyone’s surprise and disappointment, he’d returned, now with Remus as his mark. Annoying as he was though, Remus didn’t hate him completely. After all, he did leave the best tips out of any regular. 

“How are you doing today, gorgeous?” Rick leaned up against the counter, eyes focused intently on Remus. Next to him, Lily was pretending to be very focused on wiping the same mug she had been holding for the past five minutes. Despite her concentration, Remus could still see a smirk on her face.

“I’m just fine. What can we get you today?”

“You’re not gonna ask me how I am?” There was a fine layer of sweat on Rick’s forehead. Thinking about it, Remus couldn’t ever remember seeing him without it, as if he was constantly drenched in his own perspiration. 

“Where are my manners?” Remus braced himself against the counter. Any interaction with Rick was bound to last at least five minutes. It was a nightmare when he came in during a rush. “How are you?”

“I’m alright, just came in here looking for something sweet.” His eyes traced Remus’ body with a look that made Remus wish he was still wearing a jacket, or a much looser shirt. When he spoke, Remus couldn’t help but notice that his teeth were a deep shade of smoker’s yellow. “Don’t you have my order memorized by now? Or don’t you pay extra attention to your favorite customers?”

“I think I remember your order changing,” Remus said flatly. It was only recently that he’d been tasked with handling Rick, and God only knew he had better things to think about in his spare time than the coffee orders of sweaty, middle-aged men.

Behind Rick, the bells above the front door chimed to announce the arrival of another customer. Remus looked up to see a man standing in the doorway, about his own age, with long black hair grazing the back of his shoulders. He was dressed in black jeans and black boots, and a t-shirt emboldened with the name of a band Remus was not cool enough to have heard of. He had a leather jacket thrown carelessly over one shoulder, and under his other arm he carried a motorcycle helmet. His right arm was covered in tattoos, a complex sleeve made up of many small images meshed together. He smiled at Remus, and the corners of his light grey eyes crinkled slightly. He was by far the most effortlessly gorgeous man Remus had ever seen in his life. 

“Are you listening to me sweetheart?” Rick waved his hand in front of Remus’ face for attention. 

“Sure,” he responded, snapping back into focus. He peered around Rick and smiled back at the cyclist. “I’ll be with you in just a moment.”  
Rick shifted slightly to put himself between Remus and the other customer, much to Remus’ annoyance. If he was being honest, making eyes at attractive customers was in the top three best parts of his job. 

“What is it that I can get started for you today, Rick?”

“Well, I was just saying that this music you’re playing doesn’t sound like the kind of thing kids your age listen to.” Norah Jones trickled in lightly over the speakers. 

“I suppose not.” Remus tried again to peer around Rick’s sizable frame, trying to get another look at the much more attractive man behind him. 

“What is it that people your age listen to? You’re what 17? 18? I don’t even know what’s popular these days.” 

“I’m actually 22. And I don’t really listen to music.” Remus heard a small groan from where Lily was standing.

A pleased look crossed Rick’s face. “Really? You know, if you would like to sometime, I could take you out for a coffee and show you some of the good stuff from back in the day.” 

Remus felt his face flush. He looked to Lily for help, but the amused look on her face told him that she was only happy it wasn’t her this time. “Erhm...”

“We could even do dinner? I know this great little French place, it's a great spot to try and get to know someone.” 

“I, um, well...” Remus racked his brain for a good response. He had never been so pointedly hit on by someone he was so un-attracted to. 

“You know,” came a voice behind Rick, “I’m sure he would love to, but I don’t think his boyfriend would like that.” The man behind Rick shifted the helmet to his other arm and extended his hand.  
“Hi, I’m Sirius, I’ve been going out with him for… oh, how long has it been, love?” 

In all his life, Remus couldn’t remember a time his cheeks ever felt so hot. He looked over at Lily, whose face was absolutely alight with pleasure at the direction the conversation had gone. “I think it’s... uh, been… um, since May?”

“Oh, but it feels so much longer!” Rick had not accepted the handshake, and Sirius used his still extended hand to clap Rick on the shoulder. He had a self-important smirk on his lips that highlighted the curve of his cheekbones. “Way too long, and not at all long enough. You know how it is when you meet someone you’ve really hit it off with.”

“ ‘Suppose.” Rick was beginning to look as uncomfortable as Remus. 

Sirius stepped up to the counter, gently pushing Rick away. “I’ll get a black coffee, if you’d please, large.” Rick stepped off towards the door. 

“Have a great day!” Lily waved at him, giving off her best customer service smile. The door had barely shut behind him before Lily started to laugh. “We haven’t seen you before!” 

“Just thought I’d stop by to check the place out. I hope you weren’t actually interested in him.” Sirius laughed, strong and loud.

“Oh, I... no.” Remus shook his head. There was something about the way that Sirius was looking at him that made it hard to meet his eyes. 

“Good.” Sirius looked rather pleased with Remus’ answer. “It’d be a pity to see someone like you go out with him!” His eyes flicked to Remus’ name tag “I think you owe me coffee for saving you from Danny DeVito, don’t you think, Leo?”

“Erm, my name's not, um” Remus shook his head. There was no reason to be so flustered, he reminded himself. It was nothing but another customer, after all. “Coffee’s on the house.”

Sirius smirked again. “Not what I was thinking.” He pulled a napkin from the dispenser on the countertop, and a pen from the jar by the register. He jotted down a phone number and slid the folded napkin towards Remus. “In case you ever feel like thanking me properly.”

He winked, grabbed his cup from Lily, and dropped a £10 note on the counter. “See you ‘round.” The sound of the door chimes followed him out. 

As soon as the door shut behind him, Lily burst out laughing. “Holy shit, Re. Holy shit!” She picked up the money on the counter. “Did he just leave us 10 quid for a coffee?” She looked at Remus incredulously. “You have to fucking call him.” 

“I dunno,” Remus fingered the napkin. His face still felt hot, and the headache he’d felt when he woke in the morning was rearing its ugly head once more. “That was all a little much.” 

“That,” Lily waved her dishrag at him, “was the funniest fucking thing I’ve ever seen.” 

“I’m glad you’re having fun! I’m never going to recover from the sheer embarrassment of either of those interactions, thank you very much.” 

“It’s your fault! Telling him you don’t like music… never engage! You would’ve learnt that by now if you were a lady barista,” Lily batted her eyelashes coyly. “That’s just a normal Tuesday for me.” It was true. Lily’s bright red hair and gorgeous green eyes made her a frequent recipient of unwanted attention in the cafe, and everywhere else for that matter. 

“Oh, fuck off.” Remus grabbed another rag off the counter, and snapped it at Lily, making her scream and jump back. 

“So are you gonna call him?”

“I have Tonks!” Remus thought back to the girl he’d been seeing. Their relationship was nothing serious, but thinking of calling someone else still felt like a betrayal. 

“Well, are the two of you ‘official’?” Lily used her fingers to trace quotes around the world.

Remus shrugged, and fingered the paper on the counter. “I guess not technically.” 

“If you don’t call him, I will!” Lily sighed wistfully. “Could you imagine waking up to those eyes first thing in the morning?” Remus laughed and pushed her playfully on the shoulder. 

“Excuse me, you two!” The back-office door across the shop opened slowly to reveal their boss. “Is this social hour?” She peered at them over her spectacles. 

“No ma’am,” they said in unison. Remus tried to hide the rag behind his back. 

“Get to work then!” The door clicked shut, and Remus and Lily broke out into giggles once more. When Lily left to wipe down tables before the next rush, Remus slipped the napkin into his pocket.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hope you guys like chapter two! Chapter 3 should be up by Friday latest, maybe earlier if we're lucky. As always, please leave kudos or comments if you enjoyed it. For some extra drabbles, one-shots, ramblings and updates about this work, follow me at writingblot.tumblr.com !


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Cousin bonding time! Vodka! Boy talk!

“That is way too much vodka, Tonks.” Sirius was perched on the countertop in his flat, watching his cousin mix the two of them drinks. She’d poured half a bottle of lemonade into a pitcher, and followed it with what looked like a nearly equal amount of alcohol. 

“There is no such thing when you’re trying to get day-drunk,” his cousin chimed back. She shook the pitcher to stir it, sloshing some on to the counter as she did so. “Since when are you shy about your alcohol content?”

Sirius’ jaw dropped in mock offence. “How dare you imply that I, a proud member of the Noble and most ancient house of Black, be shy about the strength of my drinks! You know that being an alcoholic in this family is just about as genetic as having dark hair, or being a raving lunatic.”

“That explains a lot.” Tonks laughed, bold and loud, as she ran a hand through her bright pink hair. The sound of her reminded Sirius of his best times in his family home, long before his relationship with his mother had begun to crumble. 

“I just wanted to make sure that moving out hadn’t made you soft.” She poured a glass out for Sirius, and then poured a little more. “Try it.” 

Sirius took a sip and grimaced. “Not bad!” He took another sip. “It’s strong enough to kill a small horse, but not bad.”

Tonks winked at him and hoisted herself up onto the counter opposite Sirius. She crossed her legs, and took a sip straight out of the pitcher. “So,” she smacked her lips, “Spill.” 

“Spill what?” Sirius laughed. “I’ve been living low here.” He gestured to the dirty kitchen, and the small living room behind it. “I’m domestic now.”

“I don’t believe you! You’ve always got something going on.”

Sirius shook the hair out of his face. He’d started growing it out after leaving his mother’s house. It had been shaggy when he left, but now it was nearly passed his chin. “I swear to it. What about you? Any new boyfriends? Girlfriends? Other significant persons of interest?”

“Maybee…” Tonks leaned forward and pursed her lips in a small smile. “Promise not to yell at me?”

“You know it worries me when you ask that.” The two of them had been childhood allies, sticking together through every uncomfortable family event. Tonks had always been on the periphery of the family. After her mother married a “good-for-nothing-useless-bleeding heart” with no money, the family ties had been wearing thin. Sirius had always envied how lightly Tonks took the family disapproval. 

“If you don’t wanna hear don’t ask!”

Sirius laughed and and took a sip of his drink. “I have to worry, it’s my job as your older cousin.” 

Tonks rolled her eyes. “Well listen, because I’m excited about it.” She poured more vodka and sprite into her glass. “His name is Remus, he’s in ––”

“His name is what?” Sirius interrupted. 

“Don’t even!” 

“It’s a dumb fucking name.” Sirius giggled into his drink. 

Tonks gave him a pointed look. “My name is Nymphadora, and yours is Sirius, so I don’t think we’re in a position to judge, yeah?”

He shrugged. “Still a dumb name.” 

“Shut up!” Tonks blinked hard, and began again, “His name is Remus, and he’s very nice, and sweet and in my personal opinion,” she sipped her drink. “Hmm. In my personal opinion, he’s very attractive”. She giggled.

“What kind of attractive?” 

“Mmmmm… he’s tallish, and bookish, and he’s got very veiny forearms…”

“Oh, love that.” Sirius nodded in agreement.

“Right? And he’s got this one scar that goes through his eyebrow which I think makes him look kinda tough and rugged, which is excellent.”

“Agreed.”

“You agree because we have the same type.” Tonks laughed. 

“True, but I still agree.” Sirius hopped off the counter and pulled a straw out of the drawer. “Want one?”

Tonks shook her head. “He’s really sweet too, and smart! It’s been good so far. Hey, do you remember when we both tried to hit on that kid Jacob in like year 8 or whatever, and then it turned out he was just using us to get closer to Bella?”

Sirius pointed his straw at Tonks. “Yes, but don’t try and change the subject. What was it that I wasn’t supposed to judge you on?”

Tonks looked at Sirius sheepishly. “He’s.. older.”

“Ugh, Tonks!” Sirius put down his drink and rubbed his eyes. “I swear to God, if he’s like fifty…”

“Oh, fuck off! He’s only like 5 years older. So like your age.”

Sirius thought for a moment. “It’s still weird,” he said finally, pushing around the straw in his glass. “You’re only 17….if he starts pushing you to do things, or gets to clingy ––”

“You’ll beat his ass, I know, I know.” Tonks waved him off. “But we’re taking it slow so far. And I don’t even thinks he knows I’m younger ––”

“He doesn’t know how old you are?” His face was tightened with mild worry. 

“He hasn’t asked, and since we’re in some of the same classes I figured he just assumed. Don’t look at me like that! You’re gonna get wrinkles.”

Sirius relaxed his brow, but the worried look in his eyes did not disappear. “This could go so badly, T.”

“Or we could be soulmates,” she shrugged. “But I’m not sure.”

“Not sure you like him?”

“Not sure we’re good together. He seems… closed off. Like he is so worried about me liking him that he doesn’t want to be himself.”

“That’s just the start of a relationship.”

“Well, I hate it. I’m friendly! He’s gotta loosen up.” She laughed. Her cheeks were slightly flushed; the vodka was working its magic. “What about you? Any new loves?”

“Hmm,” Sirius fiddled with his straw. “Not particularly.”

“What about that boy from Glasgow?” 

“Nah, that fizzled out,” Sirius paused, and then looked up at his cousin with a spark in his eye. “Actually, I did give my number out to this barista the other day.”

“Yeah?”

“Yeah. He hasn’t texted or anything, but holy shit was he hot. Be good for a fling.”

“Do tell.” Tonks leaned in over the counter.. 

“Well,” Sirius began, “He’s just our type…”

Sirius recounted the story, with Tonks laughing at all the right moments. The two of them finished their drinks and moved into the living room. 

Tonks lay stretched across the couch with her head in Sirius’ lap. He absentmindedly played with her hair, braiding a few strands here, twisting some there. The afternoon sunlight spilled through the window and fell across them softly. The apartment was quiet, with no one else home to bother them. 

“Don’t you dare tangle up my hair,” Tonks mumbled. Her eyes were closed and her body limp; she looked as though she was about to fall asleep. 

“Like it matters,” Sirius teased, “It’s not like you won’t cut it all off by next week.” He had always admired his cousin’s willingness to change her appearance. She never seemed to worry if a new cut, color, or style would look good on her; like all things in her life, Tonks was always willing to try it first, and deal with the consequences later. 

Tonks stirred in his lap. “Sirius?”

“Hm?” he let a few strands of her bright pink hair trickle through his fingers. 

“Are you happy?”

The question caught him off guard. Looking down at his cousin curled in his lap, Sirius was struck with a sudden realization: he missed this. He didn’t miss home, he didn’t miss his cruel mother or absent father, but he missed little moments like this. He missed the morning conversations with his brother in the kitchen; he missed the shared glances between him and Tonks at the dinner table. She was the only one who bothered to check in with him, maybe because she too stood on thin ice with the family. If he was being honest, it hurt to see how easily his whole family had let him go, no matter how many times he’d wished to be rid of them. 

Tonks’ eyes flickered open, and she looked up at him. “Did you hear me?”

“Yes,” he lied. “I am.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for sticking it out this far! I know following WIPs can be hard, but I promise the next chapter will be worth it. There will be texting! A date! A trip to the emergency room! Some kissing! Fun shit! Stay tuned!


	4. Chapter 4

Remus’ fingers hovered over the keyboard on his phone. It really shouldn’t be so hard, it was only one simple text.

_Hi. Still interested in dinner?_

Then again, it was one text that could ruin all his chances of ever seeing that handsome customer again. _Sirius,_ Remus reminded himself, _his name is Sirius, and you shouldn’t even be texting him anyway. You have a girlfriend!_ He deleted the text and typed out a new one.

_Hi Sirius! It’s me, Remus, the guy from the coffee shop? I was wondering if you would like to get dinner later this week. Let me know!_

 No, too formal, too excited, too needy. He deleted it again.

_Hey, it’s me from yesterday. Still on for dinner?_

 He looked at the text. It should be simpler, shouldn’t it? People went out on dates all the time. _He_ went out on dates all the time. Although those dates were with people he already knew, not incredibly handsome customers who waltzed their way into his shop, hit on him, and waltzed back out like it was part of any normal day. But still, the text looked forced. Maybe he just needed to get rid of the “it’s me”. That would be better. More suave, more focused. _You know who it is,_ the text would say. _You gave ME your number, remember?_ It would ask.

He moved his thumb and clicked away the question mark. He moved his thumb again, but rather than watching the “r” disappear, he watched the small bubble click off into the ether. _Sent,_ it read below, in miniscule letters.

“Oh fuck me,” Remus groaned under his breath, “Goddamnit.”

He threw his phone on the bed and laid down next to it. So much for coming off cool. Just wait, in a few minutes his phone would buzz. _Who’s this?_ The text would read. Or worse, he wouldn’t get any response at all. There was nothing worse than being forgotten, and he was the least memorable person of all. The only interesting things about him were tragic, nothing you could share on a first date. Someone like Sirius could never actually be into someone like him. It had just all been part of the show, a final touch to rub the salt in the wound of a rude man, an act to showcase his quick lines, and the handsome way his mouth turned when he was telling something off. Surely a man like Sirius was nothing but a show off, a flirt just for fun, Remus was stupid to think he would ever, _ever,_ seriously think of taking him out for real, otherwise––  

Remus’ phone buzzed, interrupting his train of thought. He flipped the screen open to read:

**Ayy coffee boy I was hoping you’d ring**

And seconds later another text:

**And naturally. I’d never pass up the chance to talke a pretty bloke to dinner**

***take**

**Fuck.**

Remus laughed, feeling elated with the response.  

_So smooth_

**I was trying**

He bit his lip. Flirting was always easier over text. There was so much less risk.

_I’ll forgive you this once. It’s a good thing you’re handsome_

**Thats what my friends tell me**

**So… dinner?**

_Dinner._

**Hmm helpful**

**Love that in a man**

_Well, if I’m taking you in thanks, shouldn’t you pick?_

**Oh only in thanks? No alterior motives?**

_None here._

**Must not be that handsome then**

_Don’t twist my words_

**Consider them twisted**

**Well, if i have to choose, there’s a nice little wine bar i know its cute**  

_Ooh, wine bar. Fancy._

**I have someone to impress**

_I thought this was my thank you date._

**And that means that i cant impress you?**

_I had just supposed that I would be the one organizing it all._

**oh**

**Well then, where are we going?**

_Hmmm…_ _This guy I know told me about this wine bar?_

  **Oh wow, i love wine bars**

_Then it’s a date haha_

  **Good thing you’re cute or id have to call you unoriginal**

_You wouldn’t dare_

  **I live on the edge**

**So…**

**When are we going to go see about this bar your friend likes?**

_Did I say he was my friend?_

**You wound me**

_I jest, I jest!_

**Is he hot at least?**

**This guy?**

_Oh, like you wouldn’t believe. He might actually be the most attractive man I’ve ever seen._

**Wow high honors**

**What is it exactly that makes him so hot?**

**If I may ask**

_Well, if my memory serves, many things. So many things that I might just have to save telling you about it until I next see you._

**Cruel**

**When can I expect to hear these stories?**

_Hmm, I get my schedule for next week tomorrow, can I text you then?_

  **Sure**

**Are you doing anything tonight?**

**Not to be pushy but i dont have plans, and if you don’t have plans…**

_I could do tonight_

_Didn’t want to seem to eager haha_

**No such thing**

**So tonight then?**

_Haha, yes tonight._

_7?_

**I’ll text you the address**

 

Remus stared at the clock on his bedside table. It blinked 5:15, giving him plenty of time to get ready. He sprung out of his bed and stripped, leaving each item of clothing where it fell on the floor.

 

It took forever for the water in his apartment to run hot, so Remus washed his hair in the reddish, lukewarm water that came from his showerhead. Cold and rusty water was a small price to pay for a room he could afford on a barista’s salary.

 

Despite the chill of the water, he took his time making sure his hair was well washed, and every inch of his body scrubbed. It felt silly to be so concerned about his appearance on a one-off date, but he took the time to do so any way. _If you’re just scratching an itch,_ he told himself, _you might as well do it right._ Once he was satisfied, he shut off the water and stepped in front of the mirror, water dripping from his body.

 

He didn’t look half-bad like this, he thought, with the fog on the mirror obscuring the scars on his face, the circles under his eyes. In fact, if he moved his face just right, made just the right expression, he almost looked handsome. For the first time in months, he’d started putting on weight, in muscle instead of fat for once, and the haircut Lily had suggested actually did make him look a little less shaggy than usual.

 

He smiled at himself in the mirror, practicing how he would look during conversation that night. After a moment he shook himself out of it and opened the medicine cabinet, pulling out pomade, a small bottle of cologne, and two bright orange pill bottles.

 

The pills came first, as always. Forgetting a dose was not a mistake he was willing to make, and his system kept him on track: take the pills at night, the Truvada first, then the Tivicay.

 

Next, Remus spread the pomade through his reddish-brown curls, trying to tame them into something like in the pictures Lily showed him. “Work it to the roots” he could hear her saying, “If you just spread it, it’ll look greasy!”

 

Finally, he brushed his teeth and sprayed on the cologne his mother had bought him for his birthday. It wasn’t until after he had already spritzed it that he realized it would have been better to do so after he’d put his clothes on, and he could practically hear Lily scolding him.

 

Once back in his room, he picked out his nicest pair of dark jeans and the white shirt Lily had told him to wear on his first date with Tonks. Remembering that conversation made him feel a slight twinge of guilt, but he pushed that to the side and focused on finding shoes for his outfit. It wasn’t as though they were official, or anything. She was surely seeing other people as well… wasn’t she?

 

His first instinct was to wear his favorite trainers, but when he could only find the left shoe he settled on his brogue boots, hoping they would help hide the frayed ends of his jeans. Lily would be proud of his choice, she was very much of the opinion that men should never wear trainers unless they were exercising. This was a frequent critique of James from her class, and one that she deemed nearly unforgivable.

 

The ensemble didn’t look bad, he thought as he looked in the mirror. He played with the ends of his shirt, trying to decide if it would look better tucked or not. Was this the kind of place you wore tucked shirts to? What if it was casual and he looked overdressed? Or what if it was actually a very fancy place and he ended up looking ridiculous? He rubbed the ends of his jeans with one foot, trying to organize them in a way that would hide the ragged ends, and picked up his phone to search the restaurant.

 

“Ah, shit!” It was later than he had realized; he should have left ten minutes ago to be on time. He grabbed his keys and his phone and dashed out the door.

  


The wine bar was easier to find than he’d expected; it was in a big brick building just blocks from the stop at King’s Cross Station. The area was much nicer than his own neighborhood, and he found himself wishing that he’d thought to iron his shirt and polish up his boots. Then again, he wasn’t even sure he owned an iron, unless it was packed up with the things his mom had sent when he first moved into his flat.

 

Sirius was the first thing he saw when he rounded the corner onto Crook Street. He was leaned up against the brick outside the restaurant smoking a cigarette, with one black boot propped up against the wall. His ripped jeans and loose black V-neck made Remus feel slightly better about what he was wearing, but only slightly. Everything about Sirius was the kind of disheveled that made you spend hundreds to achieve; Remus wouldn’t be surprised to find out that Sirius’ shirt alone cost more than all of what he was wearing.

 

Sirius’ hair fell in soft waves across his face. It would look feminine on anyone else, but his sharp jawline and fierce features balanced out everything soft about him. He was taller than Remus remembered, or maybe it was the absence of the coffee shop counter that made him appear that way. Looking at him, so effortlessly relaxed against the brick wall, Remus reminded himself that it was just one date, one date to kill the curiosity, and that was all. He could make it through one date.

 

“I’ve heard each of those takes seven minutes off your life.” Sirius turned to look at Remus, who was gesturing to the cigarette between his fingers.

 

“God, I hope so.” A smile broke out across Sirius’ face and he pushed himself off against the wall. “Find the place alright?”

 

“Yeah, yeah.” Remus put his hands into his pockets. He wasn’t sure if he should offer a hug or a handshake; he suddenly realized that he had never been on a blind date like this before. He gestured to the door of the building with one shoulder, “It looks nice.”

 

“As do you,” Sirius smirked. He pulled open the door to bar, gesturing forward with one hand.

Remus thanked him, his cheeks flushing slightly from the compliment, and stepped inside. A hostess greeted them in the small first room, and then had them follow her through a set of iron gates and down a flight of stairs. The bar was warm and oaky, the sort of upscale laidback that hipsters paid good money for. It seemed to be light mostly by candlelight, with only two electric lanterns above the bar itself to offer any artificial light. The walls arched over the tables, and if it weren’t for the cozy lighting and pleasant chatter of the other customers, the bar would feel more like a dungeon than a meeting place.

 

The waitress lead them to a comfortable booth near the back of the restaurant. It was curved to follow the cavernous walls of the restaurant. The seats were lined with a handsome brown leather and gave a touch of class to the atmosphere, but the arc of the seats made it so that they had to sit rather close together if they wanted to face each other.

 

Sirius settled on the bench beside Remus. There was about a foot of space between the two, and they had to twist their bodies to face each other; making Remus uncomfortably aware of how this made their knees touch under the table. He did his best to remind himself that this was a blind date he shouldn’t even be on, much less be nervous for. The reminder didn’t stop him from feeling as though all the heat in his body was concentrated at the point where their legs met, pooling in response to just the slightest touch from Sirius.

 

“How’d you find this place?” Remus asked. The question felt like a better alternative to _Do you come here often?_

 

Sirius shrugged off his jacket and folded it sloppy. “I live ‘round the corner actually. And then I work at a bike shop just over that way,” He gestured with his head, “So I pass this place on my way to work.”

 

“Oh.” Remus had noticed Sirius’ tattoos that morning at the Three Broomsticks, but now, sitting so close to each other in the dim light of the bar, he was finding it much harder not to stare. They were hard to make out in the candle light, but Remus could see a collection of letters on the outer side of his forearm, and what looked like the bottom of a heart was just visible beneath his t-shirt sleeve. A ring of footsteps circled his bicep and seemed to move with the muscle beneath his skin. It suddenly occurred to Remus that he had never touched tattooed skin, and that he would very much like to know what it would feel like beneath his fingers. A small voice in the back of his head reminded him of Tonks, and the fact that he shouldn’t really be on this date at all, and that the whole thing was ridiculous in the first place. That voice was silenced as Sirius leaned forward slightly, revealing what looked like a line of script beneath his collarbone. Remus resisted the urge to try and read it and focused instead on forming a coherent sentence he could use to continue the conversation.

 

“Do you like your job?”

 

“I do.” Sirius brushed a stray strand of hair from his face. “Do you like yours?”

 

“It pays the rent, and I get to work with my friends, and my boss is forgiving of my poor time management, so I can’t complain.” He let his eyes meet Sirius. His eyes were a deep grey, lined with thick black lashes. Remus wondered how they would look in the morning sun, and the thought made his stomach feel pleasantly heavy. “And sometimes handsome men come through asking me to take them on dates, which is a plus as well.”

 

If he was being honest, he had hoped to make Sirius blush, or at least turn his eyes away, the way Tonks would when he was especially bold with his flirtations. But Sirius didn’t flinch. Rather, he held Remus’ eyes and smirked back.

 

Sirius raised a hand to wave down a waiter. “Do you often get handsome men trying to chat you up at work then, Leo? I like to think that I’m something of an exception.”

 

Remus felt his heart stop and his face flush. He’d completely forgotten about the mix-up with Leo’s name tag in the morning rush. “Oh, erm, my name’s n––”

 

“Gentlemen,” the server bowed his head in greeting, nodding at each of them. A flicker of recognition crossed his face when he saw Sirius.  He was a young man with mousy hair and a thin dusting of hair that was trying very hard to be a moustache on his upper lip. “What may I get you to drink tonight?”

 

“May we please do a bottle of the Founder’s Pinotage?” Sirius collected the menus off the table and passed them to the waiter. “If that’s alright with you,” he followed, looking at Remus. ‘It’s good, as long as you’re alright with something a little fruity.”

 

Remus couldn’t help but smile at the double entendre. “A little fruity is just fine by me.”

 

“I think you’ll find that it’s more than slightly fruit based.” The waiter turned his nose up at Sirius, obviously displeased that he hadn’t been asked his opinion. “Our Founder’s Pinotage hails from the Swartland Winery of South Africa. It has hints of vanilla and spice on the nose, followed by both red and black berries on the tongue––”

 

“I’m sorry, what exactly is a red berry?” Sirius looked pleased with himself for the question.

 

The waiter looked at Sirius the way you might look at someone who said Paris was the capital of England. “If you know wine, you’ll know that ‘red berry’ as a flavor might refer to any variety of berries, from the raspberry to the lingonberry.” He took a breath and continued. “The wine finishes with well-rounded tannins and a touch of clove.” He glowered at Sirius. “Are there any other questions I may answer for you?”

 

“Not at this time, thanks.” Sirius smiled radiantly.

 

The waiter bowed his head again, a gesture that felt too formal in the causal space of the bar and stepped away from the table.

 

Remus cleared his throat, preparing to restart his attempt at telling Sirius that his name was not in fact Leo, and maybe also pepper in the fact that he currently had a girlfriend, or at least something like one, but Sirius interrupted him before he could speak.

 

“Sorry about that. He’s just such an arse about his fuckin’ wines…” he looked casually over his shoulder, as if making sure the server wasn’t behind him. “The first time I came here, I stepped in with my sort-of boss from the shop, and that dickhead took one look at our dirty hands and went off on this tirade about how to properly taste wine, and even asked Hagrid to wash his hands… like who the fuck does that? And do they not know how hard it is to scrub off the oil from a motorcycle? Nearly ten minutes with the lava bar and my hands still look like this.” Sirius flashed his slightly greasy hands, and Remus did his best not to trace the veins on Sirius’ forearm with his eyes. “So anyway, it is now my self-appointed mission to annoy him however possible when I come in.”

 

“He is quite snobby, sort of comes off as a classist prick,” Remus agreed. Perhaps he would just wait until the next time Sirius called him Leo to bring up the confusion. After all, since this was only a one-time date, it didn’t really need to be brought up ever. “How exactly can someone be your ‘sort of’ boss?”

 

“Erm,” Sirius began, “it’s a bit complicated. Ah, our wine is here.”

 

They cleared their hands from the table and let the server pour them each a taste. Sirius sipped his first, then declared it to be exactly as fruity as he expected.

 

Remus tried his next, making a show of sniffing the wine, and sipping it slowly to let it cover his taste buds. He could see Sirius watching him out of the corner of his eye and thought he could make out the beginnings of a smile on his lips. The server looked on in displeasure, obviously anxious for his time at the table to pass.

 

“It is rather fruity, and I definitely can appreciate the clove finish… however,” Remus did his best not to look at Sirius, afraid he would break out in laughter, “my question is about the tannins.”

 

“What about them?” He asked the question flatly, as if it were a sentence.

 

“I was hoping there would be more of them. Would it be possible to add more?” Sirius lost control and broke out in laughter.

 

“You want me to add more… tannins?” He raised one eyebrow.

 

“Please.”

 

The waiter’s mouth puckered, as if he had bit into an especially sour lemon. He looked between them –– Remus, whose face had broken into a smug grin; and Sirius, who was belly laughing so deep that the sound bounced around the caverns of the bar –– and simply placed the bottle on the table. He gave them one last disapproving look before stalking off to attend to another, better mannered, table.

 

“That was good,” Sirius smirked into his wine. “My friends would like you.”

 

Remus felt his cheeks get warm. “I would hope so. Tell me about them?”

 

“About my friends?”

 

Remus nodded. “My mother always says that the best way to get to know someone is through their friends.”

 

“Christ,” Sirius laughed, “For my friend’s sake, I hope not.”  He leaned back in the booth, spreading his legs out beneath the table. His knee pushed against Remus’, and he let it rest there. He looked incredibly comfortable for someone on a first date, with one finely muscled arm draped casually over the arm of the booth. “My best friend is named James…”

 

It was as if something lit him up from the inside out. Sirius’ eyes shone as he talked about his friends: James, outgoing, troublesome, and charismatic, the leader and the protector of their small group; and Peter, sensitive and gentle, willing to walk through hell so his friends didn’t have to. Sirius recounted stories from their time in school; nearly every story seemed to involve some form of breaking and entering, and all but one ended in detention. But he didn’t seem embarrassed for any youthful digressions, rather, he seemed nostalgic for a time when his biggest problems were the ones he caused himself.

 

Remus watched him, hands a flurry of motion as he recounted the time the three of them had disassembled a car and then reassembled it in a swimming pool just to get back at a coach who had refused James a spot on the swim team. Sirius’ eyes were wet with laughter as he recalled how Peter had tripped and fallen on the way out, spilling engine oil over his uniform.

 

The more he spoke, the more Remus wondered if the black clothes, tattoos and cigarettes were nothing more than a red herring, a clever distraction to keep the world from seeing a softer version of the man in front of him. No one who took such joy in such immature pranks could be as tough as Sirius made himself out to be. Or that different from himself, Remus thought.

 

The two spent an hour laughing and swapping stories. Remus told him about his move to London, and his classes. Sirius told him about his dream of opening a motorcycle shop, the time he spend working and learning under Hagrid, and his goal of going back to school for a business degree… maybe. Only if his shop didn’t take off.

 

Remus was struck by how easy he was to talk to. By the time they had worked their way through two bottles of wine (the second presented without comment), Remus couldn’t remember why he’d been so nervous for the start of it. Sure, Sirius was ridiculously handsome, tall and dark and slender, but he was also playful and light. Perhaps this would be more than a one-off date, after all. Or maybe that was just the wine talking.

 

“Do you want to get out of here?” Sirius gestured to the emptying tables around them.

 

“Absolutely,” Remus said without thinking of what the offer might entail. “I don’t think Mr. Moustache is happy with how late we’ve stayed anyhow.”

 

Sirius laughed. “I don’t give a fuck what he thinks, but I would like to take a walk with you? Maybe down to the riverwalk?”

 

“Sure.” Remus did his best not to fixate on the way the tattoos rippled across Sirius’ biceps as he put his jacket back on. “I think I’d like that.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for holding on for the next chapter. Hopefully the next update won't take so long! As always, come find me on writingblot.tumblr.com for some extra little drabbles, and to feed me ideas for future chapters!

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading the gross first chapter exposition. It's all up hill from here I promise! The next chapter will be up on Friday, with a new chapter each Friday after that!
> 
> As always, I'd love to hear writing critiques. Find me on Tumblr at writingblot.tumblr.com , or message me here!


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